Not Doing Good, Part 1

I've been trying to ignore something for months because it's sad. More than sad, really. It's heartbreaking and horrific and completely unfathomable in my neat and tidy life. I've been ignoring it because it doesn't affect me. It's not part of my life.

And so over the past 9 months to a year, I have actively found ways to avoid the issue of human trafficking--specifically the area of sexual exploitation. I have refused to read Sold by Patricia McCormick because of the content, even though the book comes highly recommended. I've avoided thinking too much about blog entries like this one because I might have to admit that people actually live that nightmare day in and day out. My theory has been if I don't think about it, I can pretend it doesn't exist.

However, that hasn't worked out so well for me. God has been persistent in tugging on my heart strings. First there was the song When the Saints by Sara Groves. It's a fabulous song, but those two lines "I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor, I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door" convicted me every time every time I heard the song. Then there was the movie Slumdog Millionaire. God used it to get me thinking back in March. During the summer I came across blog entries like this one about a community in Thailand.

Early this summer I finally became willing to acknowlege the problem (what a gross understatement!) of sexual exploitation. While I would like to ignore the issue, I know for the women and children who are victims of the sex slave trade it's not an option to just ignore it. They have to deal with the nastiness and horrors of sexual exploitation every single day.

Now that I've acknowledged the problem, the next step is doing something about it. I've spent the majority of the summer doing nothing. And that my friends is going to change.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
James 4:17

Today's Holiday: Make a Hat Day

This might just be the second easiest holiday I've found to celebrate. You could choose to go the easy route and make a paper hat to celebrate this fun holiday. Or you could get those creative juices flowing and get to work on something a little more complex. If you're into yarn, you could knit or crochet a hat. You could sew at hat out of felt pieces like this. Or you could go with something a little more non-traditional. And if you don't have any paper, yarn, or fabric to make your hat, be creative with the materials that are available. We found pipe cleaners to work quite well for hats.

Oh, and once you've made your hat, show it off to the world! Wear it proudly for the rest of the day. This is not a mandatory part of the celebration for Make a Hat Day, but it is a lot of fun!

Monday Music

I'm enjoying some new music this afternoon. I bought John Waller's While I'm Waiting, Hillsong United's Tear Down the Walls, Mercy Me's All that is within Me, and Leeland's Love is on the Move CDs this morning. They were all on sale AND I had a coupon. I just couldn't pass up the savings. Or the spending, depending on how you look at it.

Here's a video from Hillsong United for your enjoyment.

My Little Brother

Today my little brother turns "20 old". You know, the age where one solidifies adulthood by finally being old. Turning 18 signifies the beginning of adulthood, and the 21st birthday is considered a full adult, but there are still some privileges unavailable until the 25th birthday: lower car insurance and renting a car. Today my brother can rent a car without extra fees and theoretically have lower car insurance.

I just love this picture of my brother and me. How tall does he have to be before he's considered a giant?

Happy Birthday "Little" Brother!

Family Bonding

At the beginning of the month I joined my parents and grandparents on a trip to see the Cubs my brother in Cincinnati. We all piled in The Bus, known to people outside my family as an Envoy XUV, on a Monday morning and arrived in Cinci around 5 pm. You can tell by the picture it was a very riveting drive. (Yes, I made my grandma sit in the middle, but I did share my pillow with her.)

My parents and grandparents checked into the Cincinnatian, a fancy-smancy hotel in the downtown area. I got to sleep on my brother's couch loveseat+footstool.

Anyway, this quick trip to Cincinnati was supposedly so we could see my brother, but I think we all knew the Chicago Cubbies were the main attraction. We picked the perfect day for a ball game: the weather was amazing, the fans were rooting for the Cubbies, and the game was action packed.

We were all very engrossed in the game. The Cubbies scored three runs in the second inning.














Three generations of Myers women. Or would we be considered Targgart women since my grandma was originally a Targgart?














And of course, Mr. Redlegs. I wanted to get my picture taken with him, but decided against fighting the 10 year old boys for a spot in line.














Here's the meeting they convened toward the end of the game when a new pitcher was brought in. The Reds also had a similar meeting the inning before this. At one point Dusty Baker came on the field and I thought the Cubs fans behind us were going to go nuts. Apparently they are not Dusty fans even now that he's in Cincinnati.














The fans behind us were not impressed with Soriano. They thought he was over paid and they made sure to tell him, often. They were also annoyed with him during the last inning when he was conversing with the fans behind him. They kept yelling at him to turn around. Then he dropped a ball and they were even angrier. It was hysterical to listen to them.

Sunday Song

not the official music video, that's here

Ready or Not

School starts tomorrow.

Let me repeat myself, so the magnitude of this truth can sink in. School starts tomorrow.

That's less than 24 hours from now. Whoa.

Jesus, help us all.

Another Amazing Video

If it seems like I've been watching a lot of videos online recently, it's because I have. This one is truly amazing. It's a sand animation set to music performed by Kseniya Simonova on Ukraine's Got Talent.

This is another one by the same girl if you are interested.

The Blindside

YOU MUST WATCH this trailer for the movie The Blindside based on the real life story of Michael Oher. There's also a book titled The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game written by Michael Lewis. I can't wait until the movie comes out on November 20th, 2009.

I dare you to try not to cry while you watch this trailer for the movie!

Today's Holiday: Wiggle Your Toes Day

Today's holiday just might be the easiest to celebrate, unless, that is, you don't have toes. Then it could be pretty difficult. If you do have toes, I suggest you celebrate today by ditching the socks and shoes. Let your toes be free for the duration of the day. To make the day even better for your toes, and your mental health, you could head to the beach or a pool and wiggle your toes there. Trust me, they'll thank you for it.